Indivisual Behaviour

Sushant and Bhavya work as Accounts Executives at HSBC bank. They report to Raghav,
who is a Senior Accounts Manager at the same branch. Although they all get along fairly
well as a team, Bhavya, a shy employee does not openly share her views and ideas. 

Sushant cannot understand why Bhavya does not express herself and remains quiet
most of the time. Bhavya identifies that Sushant is laid-back in times of crisis, dismissing
issues almost as soon as they are identified. Also, neither Sushant nor Bhavya can
comprehend why Raghav questions everything all the time.

Match the people with the following personality traits that they are exhibiting.

Name OCEAN Traits

1. Sushant a. Low on agreeableness
2. Bhavya b. Low on extraversion
3. Raghav c. Low on neuroticism

Ans: 1-c, 2-b, 3-a

✓ Correct
Feedback:
 Sushant stays calm and stable even in times of crisis, as he experiences lower
stress levels, which is an indicator of a low score on the trait of neuroticism. 
 Raghav tends to be openly sceptical of other people's claims, which indicates a
low score on agreeableness. 
 Bhavya is an introvert and a shy person. She does not openly express herself even
when it is most required.
Had they known this about one another’s personalities, they would have been able to
work without frustration and disagreement.
 Learning Theory
In a manufacturing unit, each time a top executive pays the plant a visit, the cleaners
would clean up the administrative offices and all the windows. This went on for years.
The employees would be on their best behaviour and be prim and proper each time
they found the windows cleaned, even when the cleaning was not because of a visit
from a top executive. 

Which learning theory describes the association between window cleaning and the
employees being on their best behaviour?

Ans: Classical conditioning

✓ Correct
Feedback:
Classical conditioning can be used to describe the learning in this case. The stimulus
(cleaning of windows) is associated with the visit of executives, and hence, the
employees would dress up properly and put on their best behaviour (reaction to
stimulus).

Learning Style
Kavita is a new program manager at a start-up. In one of her training sessions, she was
seen doing the following activities:

1. Taking detailed notes instead of participating in the discussions

2. Sitting closer to the presentation in order to see it clearly
3. Clicking pictures of all illustrations and models enthusiastically
4. She benefits from the flow diagrams and images shown in the presentations, especially
the ones in colour
5. Making summary slides that help her draw a mindmap of situations
6. Asking the following questions to herself while learning:
 What do I see clearly in this image?
 What message are the flow diagrams trying to convey?
Under which of the following types can Kavita be categorised based on her learning
style?

Ans: Visual learner

✓ Correct
Feedback:
A visual learner prefers to learn through visual communication. Kavita prefers to take
pictures, make detailed notes and summaries, all of which help her visualise the content
and learn faster.

Bias
A company based in Delhi is undergoing a radical organisational change, where new
leaders are being appointed at all top management positions. The former leaders
focussed on making profits using user-friendly approaches. However, the new leaders
are more focussed on customer-centricity. The employees collectively term the
behaviour of the new leaders as ineffective.

This is a typical organisational bias where before accepting any new changes, the
employees have decided to voice against it. Which bias is this referring to?

Ans: Contrast effect

✓ Correct
Feedback:
The clear comparison between the former and new leaders to form a bias is a case of
the contrast effect. Here, the perception is not formed in isolation but by comparing two
groups.

Reinforcement Techniques
Suppose you are the production manager at BPCL, Mumbai. The HR department has
come up with a new policy that recommends the following: All underperforming
employees (falling below a certain KRA consistently for the past six months) in the
organisation will be put on probation of two months if they score a performance rating
below a certain level in this quarter too. 

What form of reinforcement technique is this?

Ans: Negative reinforcement

✓ Correct
Feedback:
There is a fine line between negative reinforcement and punishment. While punishment
refers to stopping an undesirable behaviour by imposing a penalty without any warning,
negative reinforcement refers to stopping undesirable behaviour by associating a
negative outcome, as a result of the undesirable behaviour. Here, a warning is given to
stop the undesirable behaviour of underperformance.

OCEAN Framework
Manish Malhotra is one of the best fashion designers in the country. He is sociable and
agreeable as seen from his presence in social gatherings and interactions with friends.
They seem to vouch for him, which indicates his ability to build deep relationships with
his friends. One of his best qualities is that he is open to new experiences and has
transformed his business through creative arts and techniques. Nevertheless, he is rarely
a part of controversies and does not get involved in distressing media situations. 

Based on the characteristics mentioned above, which of the following statements about
Manish is true? (Note: The answer is entirely dependent on the traits described above)

Ans: Manish scores  high on openness

✓ Correct
Feedback:
Manish is open to new experiences and has experimented and come up with several
new designs, which you must have seen on either social media or TV. His designs are
well-crafted and thought out, which reflects his openness to trying out new things in his
work.

Learning Style
Sahil is a new senior associate at a start-up called ‘Xijee’. His initial training requires him
to complete a bootcamp course within two months of his joining. Sahil requests his
manager that he would like to apply a new concept in his project as and when he learns
about it in the bootcamp (training). He says that such an approach helps him learn faster
and retain the information for a longer period. Sahil’s manager agrees to his request
and Sahil completes his bootcamp and 50% of his project work within the first two
months of his joining. He gains tremendous praise for his efforts.

Under which of the following learner types can Sahil be categorised?

Ans: Kinesthetic learner

✓ Correct
Feedback:
A kinesthetic learner gains knowledge and learns primarily through practice. They like to
dive into a project by interacting with the subject matter and learning along the process.

Bias
A few months after joining, Samar was shifted to a new project. Despite his best efforts
and hard work, his new manager, Niket, favoured Joseph, who had also joined the team
recently. 

In one of the meetings, Niket ignored a major mistake made by Joseph but scolded
Samar for a minor miss. Samar quickly identified the bias in this situation. He knew that
both Niket and Joseph belonged to the same state and also shared a common hobby of
trekking. Samar was disappointed and disheartened. 

Which form of bias, is in play, in this situation? (Note: Answer solely on the basis of your
learnings from this session)

Ans: Stereotyping

✓ Correct
Feedback:
Niket favoured Joseph simply because they belonged to the same state and had a
common hobby. He perceived Joseph as belonging to the same group as him. This is a
case of stereotyping that is based on a few assumptions without having complete
knowledge of the person or the situation.